Sandra Wandl, a passionate amateur baker living in Vorarlberg, Austria, has an undying love and passion for baking bread. Always trying out new recipes and ideas, Wandl calls her process equal parts passion, meditation, and pleasure. As a nature lover at heart, when the home-baker is not spending her free time wandering the woods and mountains of her home region, she’s focusing on perfecting her recipes. “Quality, health, and regionality are very close to my heart, so there is nothing better for me than baking bread myself”, Wandl pledges.
Quality, health, and regionality are very close to my heart, so there is nothing better for me than baking bread myself.
Last year the dedicated home-baker decided to share her knowledge and love for bread with everyone, but self-publishing a book named “Baking Bread” (originally “Brot backen” in German). “In it, I have documented all my tips and tricks as well as my favorite recipes. The idea was haunting me in my head for years, and the finished recipe book is my absolute heart project”, Wandl says.
The Brot backen book comes with 60 different recipes, including photographic instructions for different shaping techniques for bread, as well as detailed step-by-step instructions for baking the perfect loaf of bread at home. Everything, from the concept to the recipes, and photographs to the design, Wandl planned and made herself. “By self-publishing, I chose the printer myself, as well as the papers used. Therefore, the book is exactly according to my imagination. It’s my absolute dream to be able to hold the finished book in my hands.”
By self-publishing, I chose the printer myself, as well as the papers used. Therefore, the book is exactly according to my imagination. It’s my absolute dream to be able to hold the finished book in my hands.
The cover is made with Pergraphica Natural Rough 400 g/m2, while the core is printed with the same paper but 240 g/m2. “I chose Pergraphica Natural Rough for several reasons. First, the look and feel of the paper is fantastic. When I had the paper in my hand for the first time, I knew right away that this was going to be my choice. Second, the natural whiteness of the paper acts perfectly with my bread pictures. And last but not least, the Cradle to Cradle certification was a very important point in my decision-making process”, Wandl explains.
The pages of the book were cut and gathered with a practical wire-o-binding, perfectly suited for cookbooks used in action in the kitchen. The structure allows for a single A4 page to be visible at a time – saving space – and as each recipe is no longer than a single page, there’s no need for moving or turning pages during the baking process.
You can purchase your own copy of the book at Sandra Wandl – Brotmanufaktur Wandl’s website, but make sure to follow the home-baker on Instagram for more baking inspiration.
Images © Studio Beryll & Sandra Wandl – Brotmanufaktur Wandl